Skinny Love
by SomerhalderXWesley
Summary: "I, Gabriella take you Troy Bolton to be my lawfully wedded to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."
1. Chapter 1

_**And I told you to be patient**_  
_** And I told you to be fine**_  
_** And I told you to be balanced**_  
_** And I told you to be kind**_  
_** Now all your love is wasted**_  
_** Then who the hell was I?**_  
_** Cause now I'm breaking at the britches**_  
_** And at the end of all your lines**_

_** Who will love you?**_  
_** Who will fight?**_  
_** Who will fall far behind?**_

_**Skinny Love-Birdy  
**_

"Have she said anything yet"

"No, she won't talk anyone. Even me" A man said and he turned around showing his features, his long shaggy brown in different places, barely showing his eyes and white dress shirt wrinkled few buttons unbuttoned. He moved the hair out of his fair showing his bloodshot ultra mine blue eyes, no emotion but a cold stare.

"Don't worry Troy, she'll open up sooner or later"

"I hope so" Troy said to his darker skinned friend and turned back to the window, where wife clutched unto her pillow in fetal position and cried her beautiful eyes out. Another pain struck him, seeing his wife in despair, wanting to take the pain away but knew he couldn't.

He sighed before walking in the hospital room and sitting in the large chair.

"Ella, Baby" He reached to touch her but she slapped his hand away

"Go away, Troy" She croaked out, as she sobbed. The first words she said since the accident. There's a start, he thought

"Baby, I know it hard for you right now. But it will soon get better"

"How is it going to get better Troy. My son just died. My Baby is gone" She said finally showing her face, showing the visible purple bruises around her face, the large bandage covered her forehead, where her head hit the steering wheel and line of stitches above her lip. Even with bruises, matted hair, bloodshot eyes, and wearing a hospital gown. He still thought she the most gorgeous woman ever.

He sat back knowing there's nothing else to say. He sighed for a moment and he sat up taking his jacket off and shoes. And getting in the white hospital bed, knowing he might get trouble by nurses but he didn't care. He got in the bed, before taking her hands and kissing them softly. Then wrapping his arms around her waist caressing her back in circular motion and placing a delicate kiss to her forehead. He felt his shirt getting moist as she sobbed

"Were going to get through this, okay"

* * *

Gabriella sighed as she looked at watch, it was 2 am and Troy still wasn't home. It been two months since Noel's death. And all her and Troy did was argue, and he'll end up leaving and getting drunk. She froze when she heard a big crash downstairs. She stepped out her bed, the wooden door creaking as she walked. She grabbed the bat and snuck downstairs, that's when she heard giggling. She gasped when she saw a blonde haired woman on top on her husband.

"What the fuck is this" Gabriella screamed

Troy and the blonde girl jumped off each other. The blonde scared of Gabriella's cold stare, grabbed her stuff and ran out the door.

"Bye Candy" Troy slurred

"I can't believe you would actually cheat on me" Gabriella screamed

"Oh stop whining, all you do is whine, whine" Troy slurred and he stumbled over to the kitchen and slammed open the cabinet grabbing the liquor, before guzzling it down. The drink burning his throat and threw the bottle on the ground and looked up at his pissed wife.

"Hey baby. You know we haven't had sex in weeks" He slurred and stumbled towards her and she pushed him back

"That's it Troy, I'm sick of this. You act like you're the only one who hurt by Noel's death. Newsflash he was my son too"

"Oh shut up, for weeks you wouldn't even talk to me"

"I was hurting Troy"

"You know what, I'm done. Maybe 21 was early to marry, maybe everyone was right. Maybe I should went to New York like I was suppose to."

Maybe" She stopped and turned to face him at his drunken state

"Maybe this marriage wasn't meant to be" She grabbed her purse, heading towards the door and Troy rushed to her grabbing her arm

"Wait! I'll change, please don't leave me. I love you Gabriella "

"Goodbye, Troy. I love you"


	2. Chapter 2

Huffing, a beautiful sat in as watched her lecture on pre-law. Dropping her head softly, she took her notes and highlighted them a light blue highlighter. Moving her raven hair out the way showing her face, and hazel eyes.

"Say that If someone is trialed for murder and found not guilty but they go on national television and announce they that indeed committed the murder. They can not be trialed again because would be double jeopardy. Double jeopardy is a procedural defense that forbids a defendant from being tried again on the same (or similar) charges following a legitimate acquittal or conviction" Her Law Professor spoke

"Okay class tomorrow we'll be lecturing on 1966 Miranda v. Arizona Supreme Court decision known as Miranda Rights"

The Brunette sighed and stuffed her notebook and materials in her book bag and walked out the building.

Groaning, a man pulled the cover off of him moving his long brown hair out of his face showing his ultramarine blue eyes. His groaned and looked at his clock instantly shooting up seeing it 11:30am. Shit, he cursed. He had basketball practice at 11. He got up running into the shower.

She pulled up into the apartment complex and got off her class clutching her to sweater, she hated dark building complexes. She walked briskly into the elevator and sighed until she to her floor. She walked down the empty hallway and heard footsteps.

"Hey Gabriella" She looked up under sunglasses and smiled seeing her 19 year old neighbor Amanda

'Hi Amanda, how are you today love?"

"I'm fine thanks and you" The redhead asked ramming through her bag searching for her keys

"I'm good same as always" Gabriella said unlocked her door, "See you later"

She closed the door behind her and sighed leaning against it.

* * *

"Bolton, you're late 10 laps. NOW" Troy rolled his eyes and started to run around the gym

After the 10 laps, and practice. He walked in the locker room with his teammates.

"So went we home straight home and guess who got some" He heard his teammates say and snicker

"You lucky bastard. Score" Jake one of his teammates yelled

Troy groaning from exhaustion and his teammates lack of respect for woman

"Aw what's wrong Bolton didn't none last night"

"Yeah, he probably haven't got any in years" Troy rolled his eyes knowing that it was true, he hasn't been intimate with a another woman since Gabriella. Gabriella his wife. His wife who left him

"Shut it Michaels. Petersons" Chad his best friend since he could remember and now his teammate of the New Mexico Albuquerque Hawks.

"Whatever"

"Don't worry about them bro but maybe they're kind of right. You haven't out with a woman since Gab_ …you know"

"I don't want another woman, I love Gabriella, my wife"

"The wife that left you. You don't even know where she is other than probably in New York"

"You don't understand"

"Troy you haven't been the same since Noel died"

"Don't. Bring. Him. Up" Troy grumbled through his teeth. And slammed his locker closed and swung his Nike gym bag around his shoulder walking towards the door.

"Troy…she's not coming back" Troy paused not a minute but continued to walk

* * *

"Oh Ms. Montez, you're here early, just the person I'm looking for"

Gabriella smiled at her professor "Hello Mr. Strickland"

"You know there's summer Law Internship Programs, and they are asking me to recommend a student for the program and I'm recommending you"

"Oh My God. Professor Mr. Strickland, thank you so much. Where is the program at" Gabriella shrieked excitedly

Professor Strickland chuckled. "Albuquerque, New Mexico"

Gabriella smiled dropped.


	3. Chapter 3

The drink burned his throat as he guzzled down the beer, as he watched the kids play around at the birthday party. He internally groaned at seeing the fathers interact with their sons and he cringed. He saw Chad pick up his son Ryan helping him hit the Spiderman piñata. That was him, that used to be him.

He felt someone tap him on the shoulder and frowned turning away to be meet Taylor and another woman.

"Troy, this is Bryce, Bryce this is Troy Bolton"

Troy sat down his beer on the table and held his out hand, taking in her features. She had long Red Strawberry Hair, Hazel Green eyes, she was beautiful but she wasn't Gabriella. Just another woman Chad and Taylor tries to set him up with. He's not interested.

"Nice to meet you Bryce"

"Nice to meet you too" Bryce said flipping her strawberry hair and answering in a thick southern accent and shaking his hand back

"Excuse me but I have to leave now" Troy said handing Taylor a wrapped present.

"Here Tay this is for Ry, but I have to go" He turned and headed towards the gates but felt someone grab his arm

"What now Taylor" He rolled his eyes and groaned

"Troy Bolton, that was so rude"

"What, I'm obviously not interested in dating another woman, why can't you guys get that"

"Because Troy you haven't smiled since Gabriella left. We just want you to be happy"

"Whatever" He continued to walk out the gates of hell

* * *

"Flight 21 now arriving in Albuquerque New Mexico"

Gabriella sighed and sat up grabbing her suitcase she never thought she would be returning to this place. But It was home. It was she grew up as a child but it where she fell in love and had a baby at 18, and got married at 21, and left her husband

She walked off the plane and into the airport, she sighed and put her sunglasses on waiting for a cab.

He guzzled down another beer, the liquid burning his throat and he threw the glass bottle on the ground, as he walked down the dirt pasture. Making a noise every step from breaking twigs and branches that have fallen from the trees. He looked around to see the graveyard was empty. Flowers everywhere, dark and gloomy. But stopped when seeing a certain brunette leaning against the stone.

"It couldn't be" , he thought

* * *

Gabriella walked down the dirt path of the deserted area. The great green pasture before her was covered with large marble and stone shapes, some square and some rectangular, some with the pretty ornate faces of people painted on the front or rising statues of flying angels standing tall and beautiful. In front of some of the stones were flowers, many covered so it was almost impossible to see the ground, others completely empty, lying forgotten. She walked towards a round hard stone that stood on the soiled ground. Carefully she got on her knees, not caring if she got dirt on her and sat in front of the hard stone. Her shakily fingers carefully brushed the shirt covering the words and traced the engravings that was carved deeply into the rock that read in a italics form '' _**Rest In Peace Noel Ethan Bolton''**_. A slight tear glided down her right cheek as read the inscriptions slowly

"Gabriella" A masculine voice seeked behind her and her body froze, she stood up and looking back

"What are you doing here?" Her voice trembling

"I should be asking you the same thing" Gabriella turned around the to meet the blue eyes of the man, she never wanted to see again. Or she thought

"I have to go" Troy turned around and headed back toward the Cemetery gates

"Wait shouldn't I be the one walking away. Shouldn't I be the one who should be angry"

"You got to be kidding me, I'm not the who got up and left when things got hard"

"Troy you almost cheated on me, you were always fucking drunk. The marriage wasn't working out"

Guiltily, Troy stared out the ground. "You could have stayed and we could have worked it out. That's what a couple does. Work it out" He screamed, and Gabriella flinched. She never seen him so angry

"Work it out? Troy we hated each other, the only reason why we got married is because we stupidly didn't use a condom and I got pregnant and we stupidly got married at 21. We were young and stupid"

"I loved you. And I thought you loved me too"

"I did love you"

"Then why did you leave me. You left me alone with nothing. You were my wife and I loved you"

"Because we were young and stupid and then Noel died"

That's when Troy turned around and continued to walk but turned around to face her

"Noel is gone, Gabriella. He's gone and never coming back. Get over it"

"Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving you this time"

* * *

_Grabbing, Toy Cars, and stuffing them into the soccer bag. Gabriella groaned internally and as she started the coffee maker and rushed upstairs. She saw her son struggling to put his shirt on and walked into the room pulled the shirt over the 4 year old head. He cheekily smiled at her and she picked him swinging over her waist carrying him downstairs sitting him in the stool in front of the cereal._

_"Shit" She cursed knowing she was going to be late to her job interview. She ran a hand through her straightened hair and groaned. She needed this job._

_She grabbed the coffee canister, pouring the coffee into the mug. "Mommy look"_

_The sound of her 4 year old voice startled her and she jumped causing the coffee to spill over._

_"FUCK" She screeched causing the 4 year old to burst into the tears._

_"Shh, Noel its okay. Sorry mommy yelled"_

_She ran upstairs, running around to find another dress shirt and found a shirt throwing it over head._

_She ran back downstairs, picking up Noel and his soccer bag. She ran out the door to the car, she put Noel in the car seat but the belt buckle wouldn't click._

_"Come on dammnit" She groaned and closed the door. And hopped into the car._

_She stopped at the green light, not noticing the heavy lights coming towards her. She continued to drive but did not see a black convertible shooting down her way. That's when a Black convertible truck slammed into her right passenger car seat, causing her car to swerve into circles and tip over. And everything was black._

_"Mrs. Bolton, can you hear me, if you can hear me please squeeze my hand"_

_Everything was blurry, and black. "Mrs. Bolton, can you hear me?"_

_"Noel, where's Noel" She began sob, and stir_

_"Mrs. Bolton, I'm going to need you to stay still"_

_"Where's my baby. Noel"_

_"We're sorry, Mrs. Bolton. We weren't able to save him, he died instantly. We're sorry, he's gone."_

_"No, he can't my baby. No" She turned her left in the ambulance to see a lifeless body under a white sheet._

_"Noel, No. My baby. I'm so sorry"_


End file.
